She's Here To Get The Job Done
by Creamoe
Summary: This is Taz and Up's story of when they first met. It is a story taking place before, during, and after Starship, There is Taz/Up, Bug/February, Mega-Girl/Tootsie, and Specs/Krayonder pairings. Rated K  for now. Language and some Gore
1. Chapter 1

The Beginning

Bella Zorosa gasped as she sat up, doubling over in pain. "Oh, my dead-God!" she thought, but actually screamed,"ARRRGH". Why decide to come now? Why not wait until jour father gets home?  
>She crawls over to the phone and calls her mother.<p>

"Hola?" a sleepy voice drawls, the owner's accent really thick with sleep. 

"Mama! It's time! She's coming! Matthias isn't home and I don't know what to do!" She breaks down in violent tears and uncontrollable shakes. She hears the phone drop on the other side, and everything goes black.

When she finally comes around, she is surrounded by strangers in masks. Panic rises up in her throat and threatens to escape until someone lays a hand on her shoulder. She looks up. Matthias. Thank dead-God. He grins down at her and she returns it with a shy smirk just as a searing pain cuts across her stomach. Next thing she knew, she was holding her beautiful baby girl.  
>She gazed down at the little life in her arms and saw the determination and fire already making itself present deep in her irises.<br>Her Mama always believed that you will know your child's true name the minute you lay eyes on them. That is how she was named Bella, for her beauty.  
>No. She would not name her daughter Adeline. Not this brave little storm, her Tormenta Ámino Zorosa.<p>

~15 years later~

"Tory! Por favor, apúrate! De are here!"

Tory stood in front of her full length mirror, despising the image in front of her. How in de world could her Mamá think she would like something like dis? Something dis frilly and-

"Tory!"

She rolled her eyes. "Coming Mamá!"  
>She glanced at her reflection once more and smirked. She actually looked good.<p>

As she walked out into the hallway, her little brother, Antonio, was chasing his twin, Angelo, who was holding the former's Starship Ranger action figure.  
>"Darle la espalda! Yo lo tenía primero! Darle la espalda, Angelo! ¡Te odio!" he screamed, tears threatening to overflow.<p>

Angelo stopped short when he saw all of Tory's 5 ft. of height glaring at him and a sheepish grin replaced his gleefull one.

"Lo siento," he said, handing the toy back to his brother, eyes downcast.

Tory looked at Antonio.  
>"What do you say?"<p>

"Gracias, Angelo," he replied brightly. He grabs Angelo's hand and drags him off to play again.

Tory stared after them, a loving smirk forming at the corners of her mouth, when she remembered she needs to be downstairs. "It's time to become a woman", she thought dryly. She walked down the stairs and into her extravagant backyard. She stared in shock at what had all been done in the few hours she had taken to get ready.  
>A canopy tent was set up over a dance floor, the trees were strung up with streamers and paper lantern, and it was full of her family. To her utter disgust, she realized her Mamá had invited all boys from the age of 16 to 19 in the neighborhood as well. It was tradition to meet the man you will spend the rest of your life with at your Quinceañera. To be honest, that didn't seem like such a bad idea for Tory, she just wasn't looking forward to dancing with all of them.<br>Suddenly, there was a lot of ooh-ing and ahh-ing, a bright flash of light, and laughter. Tory inwardly groaned as a handsome boy, no more than 17, walked up to her and offered his hand. She reluctantly took it and he led her to the dance floor. He was actually a good dancer, and she wasn't doing too bad herself. Those last minute lessons with her Papá really paid off.  
>She was really starting to enjoy herself when she heard a terrified scream and the synchronized metal footsteps. Robots. She quickly turned and ran to find her parents, abandoning her heels in the process.<br>"Mamá? Papá? Dónde estás?", she screamed.

"Tory!"  
>Oh, dead-God. Those were the two voices she never wanted that level scared to enter. She turned to find her brothers being held by two robots.<p>

"Mierda," she muttered. She grabbed a piece of splintered wood. As she charged at the robots, her dress caught on a piece of debris and ripped up to her thigh. She stumbled, not expecting this newfound maneuverability. Before the robots had a chance to react, she stabbed one through the throat and spun around and kicked the other in the chest, releasing the twins.  
>She turned to them and said, "Go! Run! Get away from here! Por favor!"<br>They ran just as a robot yanked Tory up by the hair. She struggled as the robot and two "friends" hung her upside down from her favorite climbing tree. One of them pulled the shard of wood from their fallen comrade's neck.  
>"Ha. Ha. Ha. You will not win, puny hu-man," they chanted.<br>She forsaw their intentions and struggled harder against her bindings, rubbing raw spots around her ankles.  
>She braced herself for the first hit. She bit down on her lip hard as splinters inserted themselves into her flesh.<br>"Eso es todo lo que tienes?", her voice filled with venom. "Usted es patético! ¡Vamos! Dame todo lo que tienes!"  
>She couldn't hold back a yelp of pain as the next hit went right to her temple. They could kill her, but she was not giving them the satisfaction of hearing her scream. She fought for consciousness as the robot was rearing up for the next hit.<p>

"HEY! DICKHEADS!"

The voice pierced through Tory's mind. Definitely American. Southern, but can't place which region. She heard the distinct 'pew' of zapper fire sound three times and the crunch of metal hitting the ground. She felt herself drop and landed painfully in someone's well-toned arms. She looked up and gasped. She was staring into the bluest eyes has ever seen. That's not saying much since she has never seen blue eyes in her life.  
>"Who are jou?" she asked.<br>"The name's Up. Lieutenant Up."  
>"Gracias. I'm..." The last of her reply was lost as she finally welcomed unconsciousness.<p>

Lt. Up handed the young girl, she looked no more than 12, to one of his superiors and went back to the house to search for any more survivors. The first bedroom he came to was fairly small, painted dark blue, and had two twin size beds. At least, that's what was left of it. He sighed and turned to walk out, but, as he crossed the threshold, he stepped on something. He picked it up and discovered it was a Starship Ranger action figure. A sad smile pulled at the sides of his mouth. He pocketed it and carried on to the next room.

This one was larger than the other one, but not by much. It obviously belonged to a girl, most likely the one he just rescued, yet he couldn't place why he knew that. The shelves on the walls were cluttered with a variety of blades and a few homemade spears, the walls were a blood red, and the closet was full of cargo pants, tank tops, and combat boots. He gathered up what seemed useful enough to salvage. When he came to the bed, he saw a yellow baby blanket with TAZ embroidered on it in pink.

Taz. What a fitting name. He smiled to himself and walked back to the drop pod. All the way he was thinking of the girl. Taz. After what he had seen her do, there was no way he was gonna allow her to live in the refugee camp. She was gonna be one of the greatest Starship Rangers the universe has ever seen and he was gonna make it happen.  
>Taz. Perfect. In every way.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you everyone who has read the first chapter. In the 24 hours, 4 people added this to their story alerts and 1 reviewed. I didn't expect that much when I first started writing. Thanks again for the support. Hugs and Butterfly kisses, Your Creamoe**

**Disclaimer: I do not own them. All credit goes to Team Starkid, the most genius group in the world.**

I Want

Tory bolted upright. "Mamá! Papá!" she screamed. She started struggling as two strong hands tried to push her back down on the bed.

"Hey, little lady. You gotta calm down if you wanna heal"

She knew that voice. She looked up, and was once again startled by the blueness of his eyes. As Tory settled down, Up reached behind him into the visitor's chair and picked up a box. He sat down next to her on the bed.  
>"Where is mi familia?" she asked. She already knew the answer, but she had to hear it. <p>

"Taz, I'm so sorry," Up replied sympathetically, pulling her into a hug. 

'Taz? Where did he get Taz?' she thought as she hugged him back. 'Oh well. New place, new life, why not a new name? Besides. It wasn't all that bad.' 

"Hey! I managed to retrieve some of your belongings. I imagine you wouldn't want to stay in that hospital gown." He gave her a smile that she returned.  
>She quietly rummaged through the box, grateful for her clothes. She saw her baby blanket, slightly singed at the edges; her favorite knife, mahogany handle and stainless steel blade; some photographs of her family; and her mother's gold stud earrings, which she put in her ears and never took out.<p>

"Gracias, Up"  
>He smiled at her and situated himself on the bed when he felt something dig into his leg. <p>

"Oh! I forgot about this." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the action figure.  
>Taz took the toy in her impossibly tiny hands as she felt fresh tears pooling down her face.<p>

She had bought this two piece action pack for the twin's 6th, and last, birthday. Angelo had lost the Starship piece, so they were always fighting over the Ranger. She pulled her knees to her chest and clutched the piece of plastic close to her heart as she leaned into Up. 

"Where am I going to go?" she asked quietly, playing with the hem of his shirt. 

"Well, usually we send the survivors to the refugee camps," he stopped as he saw her eyes widen and she started shaking her head vigorously.  
>"No! No me hagas! I want to stay with jou!" she cried suddenly. "I want to fight de robotas!" <p>

Hmm. Well she definitely has the potential. "How old are you?" 

"Today was my birthday. Acabo de cumplir los quince." 

'Fifteen?' Up thought to himself. 'Dead-God I can't tell her. Oh well'  
>"Um. Well, ah. Well..You have to be sixteen to enroll in the Academy..."<br>Up watched as her face displayed a variety of emotions: disappointment, disbelief, denial, and finally anger. Up had never seen such a glare. He instinctively scooted away from the terrifying girl. 

"Dey killed ma familia, Up," she said calmly and collected while staring intensely at her bed sheets, hands clasped on her lap. "I want revenge!" 

There was that glare again. "Th-they have made some exceptions. Perhaps I-" 

"Have any of dem been niñas? Girls?" 

Up shook his head. "But I believe in you and I think, together, we can get you into the Academy."  
>Up felt his spirits rise as Taz's face was lit up with the grin that showed off all of her straight, white teeth.<br>"Come on, Taz," he said, grabbing her hand. "Let's make you a Starship Ranger!"  
>And, together, they left the ward to make Taz's dream come true.<p>

**A/N: Thank you for reading. Reviews and constructive criticism are accepted. Flames, please extinguish. This is for fun.**

**I might start not update as frequently as I get more into the story. Takes more time to think. Just a heads up **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Here's the next chapter. Sorry it took so long. I was sick today and slept from 6:15 am to 3:00 pm. I hope you like it :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't understand why I keep writing. I'm inflicting pain on myself having to write these dead-Goddang disclaimers. I do not own Taz or Up. I do, however, own Commander Remo and any other character I add.**

'I Will'

Up led Taz down to his commander's office. He couldn't contain a laugh as Taz's determined expression melted into a look of pure wonder when the door slid open, seemingly of its own accord. She glanced at him and smirked, once again returning to her calm demeanor. 

"Lieutenant Up? Please, come in," Commander Remo said, surprised. He glanced down at the small girl at his Lieutenant's side and back at Up, a question in his eyes. 

"Commander, this is Taz," Up answered. "She would like to be a Ranger and I was wonderin' if we could make a stop at the Academy to drop her off?" He placed his hands on her shoulders. She shrugged them off, somewhat reluctantly. 

'Her? She wouldn't last a week with that training' Remo thought to himself. "How old is she?" 

"Well, she's only 15, but-" 

"I'm sorry, Up," Remo said, turning to face the opposite direction. "She'll have to wait a year." 

"Yes, but you-" Up started, but was cut off by Taz. 

"What da hell? Esto es ridículo! Jou have made excepciones before. Why am I any different?"  
>Remo spun on his heel, taken aback by the ferocity in her voice. Just as soon, he wished he hadn't. That glare was 10X worse. <p>

"Just because I'm pequeño, doesn't mean I can't kick jour ass, you mente estrecha polla!" She was fuming. 

Up, yet again, put his on her shoulders, but this time to restrain her.  
>"Taz, calm down." He turned back to Remo. "She can handle the training. I watched her destroy one robot and hinder another. Please, sir, I think she could be the best dead-Goddamn Ranger that ever was." <p>

Commander Remo looked back at the girl. She was all tensed up, posed as if she was about to strike out at someone. "Are you willing though, Up?" 

"Willing, sir?" 

"Yes, Up. Every underage student is assigned a mentor for all three years. Are you willing, Up?" 

Up hesitated. He'd only just graduated himself a couple years ago. He rose in the ranks faster than most other Rangers. Ensign, Private, Captain, Lieutenant, and now, with his success in Mexico, he was sure to be promoted to Commander. Would he give up all that for a fifteen year old girl? He looked at Taz with her long, dark curls, small frame, and combat clothes. Yes, he answered himself. He would. He would do anything for her. 

"I am, sir. I'm willing." he said, voice confident. 

Both Remo and Taz stared at him in shock. 

"No, Up! Jou don't have to do dis for me!" Taz pleaded. 

"You're right. I don't have to." Up said, then smirked. "But I want to."  
>Taz's face lit up with her wonderful smile at these words. <p>

"Alrighty then. I'll just make the call to the navigation room to tell them we are making a small detour." He smiled at Taz, then turned to his desk and picked up the phone. He looked at Up. "With everything you've said, I'm expecting her to be perfect." The person on the other end picked up and Remo started making his demands. It was an obvious dismissal so Up grabbed Taz's hand and took her back to the ward.

When they arrived, Taz flung herself at him in a hug and wrapped her legs around his waist. "Thank jou, thank jou, thank jou!" she screamed, burying her face in his neck. 

"Why, you're very welcome." he replied with a grin. 

Taz pulled back and looked at him. "Why did jou do it? Jou gave up everything for me." 

"I don't know." He poked her in her stomach. "Maybe I just have a soft spot for you," he joked, but her heart still fluttered a bit when he said it. 

Taz gave a nervous laugh and squeezed his bicep. "Jou won't be able to find many of those on jou."

Up laughed aloud. "Come on, it's been a long day and you need to rest. Besides, we'll be at the Academy in ten hours time." He smiled at her. 

"Okay. Hey, Up?" 

"Yes?" 

"Can..uh, can jou..um, stay?" 

Up was surprised at her request, but pulled a chair up anyways and got a blanket from the cabinet. "Of course!" he said sitting down. 

"Buenas noches, Up." 

"Goodnight, Taz." He replied, turning over. "My little Starship Ranger." He muttered that last sentence and heard a muffled, "Don't call me little" before he drifted off with a smile on his face.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm so sorry it took me so long to update. This chapter was actually really hard to write. And that's not including school, homework, movies, "dates", my parents don't approve of me doing this so I have to sneak it, and Wi-Fi cuts off at midnight so I had to wait another 5 and ½ hours before I could upload this. **

** Please review. Even if you don't have anything constructive to say, at least I'll know how many people read it and liked or disliked it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Taz or Up. They belong to Starkid. I do own Dean Kysh, Micah, Cassie, Rebecca, and Kate. Thank you.**

Up's always reliable internal alarm clock went off at exactly 0600 hours. He got up slowly and rubbed his eyes. For a moment he didn't know where he was. Once he became aware of the bare white walls and the unmistakable smell of bleach, he remembered he was in the ward. He looked at the small Hispanic girl sleeping on the bed, sniggering as she furrowed her eyebrows, scrunched up her nose, and burrowed deeper under the covers. He turned towards the door and was quietly letting himself out when he heard a small hiccough. Fearing he'd woken Taz up, he instinctively turned his head back into the tiny room. This small movement sent spasms shooting down the right side of his neck and into his shoulder. He sucked in a breath through his teeth. The nurse at the desk heard the hiss and saw him tense.

"You alright, Lieutenant?" she asked, her doctor instincts taking over.

"Yes, thank you, Kate," he said, rubbing his neck. Then, with a second's hesitation, he added, "Although, there is one thing."

"And what, pray tell, would that be?" Kate asked.

"How many times have I told you not to let me sleep in that chair?" he demanded, a cheeky grin taking over his features.

"And how many times will you ignore me?" she retorted.

"As many times as I can get away with," he replied with a wink. He left the ward and went to get some breakfast.

Taz was shaking in her seat, her nerves having caught up with her. No, she wasn't scared of the Academy or experiencing something new. She was scared of what it expected people to be. She knew she had to be tough to be a Ranger, but she hadn't realized how…heartless it made people seem. She experienced it as she and Up left the ward, heading for the drop pod. The farther away he got from the ward, the deeper his scowl became. At the drop pod entrance, his face, which was usually full of life, was now so emotionless he could have been a porcelain doll. He was like a completely different Up.

She was shaken out of her reverie by an announcement over the intercom telling the passengers that they'll be landing in approximately ten minutes. She squeezed her eyes shut and gripped the seat tightly, willing herself to stay calm. She felt the seat next to her sink and opened her eyes as Up draped his arm around her shoulders.

"You'll do fine," he reassured her.

Taz just closed her eyes again and said nothing. Up turned in his seat to face her. He took her face in his hands firmly, but gently. She turned slowly and looked up at him. His eyes were boring into hers and she found herself not able to look away.

"Don't worry. You're tougher than six usual recruits put together. Trust me." He was talking softly enough so only Taz could hear him. He was so close that Taz could feel his breath on her nose and smell his spearmint toothpaste. She could feel her heartbeat in her temples and hoped Up wouldn't notice how fast her pulse was.

Up felt her relax and took his hands from her face. He gave her a warm smile and buckled up, preparing himself for landing. Taz returned the smile and did the same.

The walk from the drop pod to the Dean's office went by in a blur. Taz was acutely aware of everyone staring at her as she passed. She tuned out Up's conversation with Dean Kysh and she only pulled herself back to reality as he pinned a Cadet badge on the front of her white tank. She shook his hand firmly and followed Up out of the office.

Up looked at Taz. She still had her determined expression, but he could see the happiness in her eyes. After many twists and turns, he stops outside a door.

"Well, here's your room," he said then smirked. "Cadet."

Taz smiled. "Gracias, Up."

He pulls out a plastic card. "Here's your room key. Don't lose it. It takes a long time and a shitload of paperwork to get it replaced." He swiped the card due to the fact Taz had her box.

The door slid open and three girls jumped to attention. "At ease, Cadets," Up ordered. "This is Micah, Cassie, and Rebecca. Gals, this is Taz. She just enrolled and I expect y'all to make her feel welcome." He stared them each in the eye.

"It's okay, Up. I can take care of myself."

Up looked down at her disapprovingly, but relented. "Alright. Get yourself situated, get to know each other, and I'll come get you in ten minutes for dinner." He gave Taz a small smile, nodded to the others, and walked out of the room.

Taz made her way over to the empty bunk and started emptying her box. She tensed as she heard footsteps approaching.

"Hey, Taz. I'm Micah." Taz gave the young woman a quick once-over. About 5'5", dark frizzy hair, and light brown skin.

"Hola," Taz replied.

"Speak English, dipshit," came a voice from the corner bunk. "We don't know your stupid language."

Micah flinched, but didn't say anything. She laid a hand on Taz's shoulder and whispered, "Don't mind Cassie. We usually just try to ignore her."

Taz nodded slightly and continued putting her stuff away.

"I heard that, Micah." Cassie saunters over and Micah backs away quickly. Cassie turns to Taz. "What are you, nine? How tall are you?"

"I'm fifteen," Taz replied. "Did jou not pass de t'ird grade? I was sure jou must've known jou have to be at least sixteen to join." She ignored Cassie's last question. Who gave two shits?

Cassie glared at her furiously. "See girls? This 'Cadet' is the epitome of being all talk." She reached into Taz's box and pulled out the Ranger action figure. "She's just a child trying to escape reality." She points to Rebecca. "Did you see the way Up looked at her? Obviously, she was only allowed in because she's letting the Lieutenant in her pants! Ha-ha-," she choked on her laugh as a knife embedded itself in the wall, inches from her face. Horrified, she turned to Taz, just to find the girl already a foot away from her.

Taz stuck her finger under Cassie's chin. "What did jou say, perra? Jou ignorant pedazo de mierda. Up is a good man. He saved mi vida. I got into de Academy 'cause Up saw somet'ing in me, so stop making snap judgments about me. Jou know not'ing. Jou don't know my life. Jou don't know what I've been t'rough," she screamed, pulling her knife out of the wall. She turned and stormed out of the room, right into Up.

"Hey, Taz! I was just coming to get you. What's the matter?"

"Not'ing. I'm not hungry. Can we go to de gym?"

"Um, sure?" Up replied, puzzled.

"Good. I'll tell jou on de way."

"Alright, follow me," Up turned and headed down the corridor. Taz walked by his side, having to skip a step or two to keep up with his long strides. "So what is it?"

"Cassie," Taz growled. "She t'inks she is all dat. Just 'cause she is mas alto, doesn't mean she can be a polla to everyone."

Up nodded. "Yes, we've had some trouble with Cassie in the past. You just need to ignore her. She's an attention whore." They reached the gym and Up stretched his hand towards the door handle, as this was the only room without automatic doors.

"She said dat de only reason I'm here is because I'm sleeping wit' jou," Taz said with her head down.

Up's arm halted its journey. He put both hands on Taz's shoulders and squatted at eye level. "Taz, I need you to listen to me. I don't want you to give a damn about what Cassie says. Okay? She had no right to say that about you." Taz nodded and he continued, "I'll have a talk with her about-,"

"No, Up," Taz interrupted. "Let's just leave it alone. I don't wanna make any more of a scene."

"Any more of a scene?" Up queried. "Taz, what did you do?"

"I threw my knife at her…" Taz never finished her sentence as Up barked out a laugh.

"You didn't hit her, did you?" he asked between guffaws.

"No! Of course not!" Taz assured, laughing along with him.

He opened the door and held it for Taz. "So, what do you want to do first?"

Taz looked around the spacious room and when nothing appealed to her, she asked, "Can we spar?"

"Sure!" Up led Taz onto the mats. "Now, let's start with your stance. Keep your feet shoulder width apart." Taz obliged. "Good. Now, bend your knees slightly to keep your balance. Alright. Now, what I want you to do is block my punches, but keep an eye out for any other moves I may pull. This will help your peripheral vision, which, in the long run, will help your defensive skills."

"I feel like I'm in the Karate Kid," Taz pointed out.

"That's my favorite movie!" Up exclaimed.

"Seriously? Wait, it's the good one with Jackie Chan, si?"

"Duh.." Up smirked. "Who likes the original?"

Taz smiled. "Okay, senior. Let's do this"  
>Up started throwing punches at Taz. Slowly at first, then gradually gaining speed. Taz's face was set in a look of intense concentration as she blocked every one of them. As Up began to throw more intricate punches, he landed a few. It was when a right jab hit her in the side, he found her weakness.<p>

"Ayiee!" Taz shrieked and jumped back.

Up stopped his attack, thinking he'd hurt her. Soon, a triumphant grin replaced the worried one as he realized what happened. "Taz," he asked. "Are you ticklish?"

"No," she answered a little too quickly. "I'm not."

"You sure?"

"Si, I am. Now, can we continue? Please?" She got back into position and Up did the same, although, his smile only diminished into a sly grin.

This time, Taz attacked first, and boy, did she have some fists of fury! Up was going into overdrive trying to block all of them. He took advantage of her narrow sight and lashed out with his leg, sweeping her off her feet. Before she had time to get up, Up had straddled her. He shifted his weight so he wouldn't crush her and pinned her arms down with his knees. He then started to tickle her, giving no mercy. Taz squirmed and squealed, trying to get away.

After she started having trouble breathing, Up pushed himself off of her and held out his hand. Taz ignored it and got up on her own.

"So," Up started. "You wanna watch The Karate Kid?"

Taz smiled and to answer him, she grabbed his hand and pulled him to the door.

**A/N: Thank you for reading. Hope you enjoyed it. Please review!**

.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: So here's chapter 5. I know I've been writing in author-observer the last four chapters, but I knew exactly what I wanted for this one and it didn't sound right so, I've switched to first person. Maybe just for this chapter, maybe more, I don't know. I kind of liked how first person sounds. I might keep it. **

**Thank you to lucyjoan for reviewing every chapter. It's highly appreciated**

**And thank you to CircleK for utterly confusing me and here is your reward for your stalker-ish ways.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Taz and Up, though I sorely wish I did.**

Taz POV

_I allow a split second of hope to implant itself into my mind before never-ending helplessness and realization crashes down on me. They're not going to make it. I scream for them to run faster, to get away, but I cannot find my voice. I watch in horror as five or six of the__ hijo__ de__ putas__ converge on my brothers. I try to go to them, adrenaline surging my upper body forward. When I fall, I catch myself with the palms of my hands. I look back, confused on why I couldn't move, to find my feet glued to the ground by the blood of my family. This time, my ear-splitting scream sounded, echoing around. My throat closes up as one of the robotas places its cold, metallic hands on me and starts to shake me violently, chanting, "Taz…Taz…Taz…Taz…TAZ!"_

Up POV

"Taz…Taz…Taz…Taz," I call, my volume rising as her screams become even more anguished. It was when she started flailing about, I shook her harder and yelled, "TAZ!"

She jerked back into consciousness, her breathing ragged. She threw herself at me in a hug and sobs into my shirt as I wrap my arms around her and bury my face in her tangled hair, whispering comforting words and rocking her back and forth.

When she calmed down, I sat her back up and said, "Sit tight. I'll be right back." She nodded as I walked out of her room.

Taz POV

After Up left, I wiped my eyes and looked around my dorm room. Cassie had already gone back to sleep and Micah was standing by her bunk with Rebecca, worried looks etched into the features of both of their faces.

"Thank jou," I say.

"For what?"

"For getting Up."

"Oh Taz, it was nothing," Micah said, Rebecca nodding along next to her.

"Well, thank jou anyways," I replied. "What time is it?"

"2:15," Micah answered.

We sat in an awkward silence for a few minutes before Rebecca spoke up.

"You really scared us. It must have been bad."

I looked at her and noticed her soft voice matched her appearance perfectly. She had a small, frail body, bushy red hair, and thousands of freckles. Through thick, large glasses I saw she had big, beautiful hazel eyes. She was really pretty in a dorky kind of way.

"Si, it was." Another small silence.

"Who are Angelo and Antonio?" It was Rebecca again.

"Mi hermanos. My brothers." I know I'm being blunt, but I really don't want to talk about it. Thank dead-God they realize this.

Micah comes over and sits next to me on my bunk. She lifts her arm and I tense, making her hesitate. I relax and allow her to put her arm around me. I lay my head on her shoulder as she reached to my bedside table and picked up a picture. "Are these them?" she asked. I looked at the picture. It was taken on the twin's birthday. They had just opened the Starship Ranger package and they both had tackled me in a hug. The picture was of each them holding one of my arms, smiling and showing their toys to the camera. I just nodded. "Aw. They're cute," she says and hands it to Rebecca. I feel my breath catch. They thought that they were still alive.

Rebecca smiles, "I bet they are really proud of you."

"Oh, they _would _be really proud of her," said a voice from the doorway, causing us all to jump.

Up POV

I was standing in the doorway, slightly amused that they were so focused on Taz that they didn't notice when I walked in. I was moved at how much those two girls seemed to care about Taz. Not wanting to intrude on this moment, I thought about earlier this morning.

_Flashback_

_ It was 23:30 and I had just finished filling out Taz's enrollment forms. I switched off my desk lamp and headed to my bed. I was already exhausted and Taz's first day of training is tomorrow. I am asleep before my head hits the pillow. I feel as if I have only been asleep a few minutes when a loud pounding wakes me. _

_ "Lieutenant Up! Please, wake up! Lieutenant Up!" I heard a shrill voice outside my door. _

_ I groaned and rolled out of bed, making my way to the door. I hit the button and it slid open to reveal a very frightened looking Micah._

_ "What are you doing out of bed, Cadet?" I ask, rubbing my eyes._

_ "Please, sir. It's Taz," she pleaded. That snapped me to attention. "She's screaming and thrashing around. We can't get close enough to wake her!"_

_ I pushed past her, knowing exactly what was wrong with Taz._

_End Flashback_

I pull my attention back to the present to see the girls passing around a picture and to hear Micah say, "Aw. They're cute," as she handed the photo to Rebecca. Oh, jeez. They don't know about her family.

"They must be really proud of you," Rebecca said softly. I could tell Taz was about to break down, so I intervened.

"Oh, don't worry. They _would _be really proud of her." I smirked as all three of them jumped. I walked over to Taz as realization of my reason to use past tense showed in their expressions.

"Oh my dead-God, I'm sorry Taz. I didn't-," Micah and Rebecca both stuttered at the same time, but were cut off by Taz.

"Está bien! No se preocupe." They obviously didn't know what she said, but her soothing tone must have been enough because they both let out a sigh of relief.

"Okay, Taz. I've talked to Kysh and he has permitted you to stay with me until your nightmares have subsided," I whispered in her ear. She nods, gathers her miniscule amount of belongings, and follows me out the door.

~~~~~~~~~x~~~~~~~~~

When we arrived at my room, Taz headed straight for the couch.

"And where do you think you're going?" I ask.

"Uh, to sleep?"

"Quit being a smart-ass," I smirk. "I want to talk to you."

"Ugh, Up. It's three in the morning. Can't it wait?" she pleaded.

I grab her by her hands and drag her onto my bed. "No, it can't wait."

She rolls her eyes and follows me grudgingly. I sit her in front of me, her hands still in mine, and study her for any signs of emotion. Nothing but a blank expression.

"Taz, just let it out," I tell her.

"Let what out? I don't know what jou are talking about," she retorts, not keeping eye contact.

I lift her chin, forcing her to look into my eyes. For a moment, I get lost in the depths of the deepest brown eyes I've ever seen. "I-it's n-not good to harbor these things," I say as I stumble over my words. "I know that from experience."

A skeptical looked crossed Taz's face. "Really?" she asked, her left eyebrow rising into a perfect arch. "What could jou have been through to cause jou to have nightmares?"

The question stung, to be honest. I was sure I had seen many more horrible things than her. But, I also know what it's like to be in her position. She has that mentality of, 'My family was just killed in front of me. That is the worst thing that could ever happen to anybody'. The truth is, humanity sucks. There isn't anything anyone can do about it. It's how we are. I'm trying my best to explain this to Taz, but it's no use. Instead, I decide to open up.

"You want to know what I've seen."It wasn't a question. She suddenly looked hesitant and I continued. "I've seen children slaughtered and families torn apart. Far more orphans than you can imagine, me included. Robots may not be able to feel anything, but they relish in our suffering. All we can do is get the job done and destroy all the sons of bitches."

Taz was staring at her hands which were clasped in her lap. "Lo siento. I didn't know."

"It's alright. We actually have a similar story, but instead of watching my family die, I came home to find the authorities cleaning up and trying to identify my body. Unlike you, I was eight and didn't have a wonderful and strikingly handsome Ranger to take me under his wing."

She smirked. "Modest too."

I smiled, glad the conversation has changed moods. "So, sleep on what I've said, then get back to me in the morning. You've got a hard first day of training tomorrow. You can sleep anywhere."

"Okay. Gracias, Up."

"No problem." I watched as she dragged herself over to the couch, plopping down on it unceremoniously.

I climbed back under the covers and made sure Taz was situated before I turned off the light.

**Taz POV**

Up's story really unsettled me. It left me with an urge to comfort him. An urge that has yet to leave. I toss and turn for a few minutes and, when sleeping seems futile, I get off the couch and tip toe to Up's bed. I crawl up to him and curl into his stomach. I feel him smile into my hair and, for the first time since I arrived, I felt safe. And that is where I returned to every night for the next three and a half months. To Up, to my best friend, to home.

**A/N: Thank you guys for reading! Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I am so sorry this has taken so long. I know it's been 164 days since my last update to this story. And to tell you the truth, this chapter was going to be a oneshot, but I thought, "Why the hell not make it the next chapter?" It took me about 30 minutes to write this, so I apologize about the bad quality, but I wanted to update it.  
>Again, I'm sorry to keep any readers I have waiting. I'm lacking inspiration, so if any of y'all want to see the end of this story(I already have the last chapter written), please review or PM me with any ideas.<strong>

**Disclaimer: It's 12:58 in the morning. I can't come up with a witty or clever way of telling you I don't own these delectable, mouth-watering characters.**

* * *

><p>Today was like any other day with Taz. Wake up early, meet up outside the mess hall, eat breakfast before others arrived, train in the gym, skip lunch, runswim laps, eat dinner, then go back to my room and watch a movie. Tonight, it was The Never-ending Story, a movie about a young boy who was picked on by bullies because he was so little and he liked to read.

As it started, Taz's eyes glazed over, as if she was remembering something or deep in thought. I decided to just let her think and became engrossed in the movie.

"Up, what's jour name?" she asks out of nowhere, making me jump.

"Why do you wanna know?"

"It's a little hard to explain. Um. Have jou ever read Eragon?"

"Uh, that would be a negative"

"Well, dis might be a little _difícil_. Dere are two characters. Eragon and Arya. Dey are in love wit' each other, but Arya doesn't feel de same way at first, and even later in the series, doesn't want to admit it. Eragon learned to accept dis, but his feelings for her never went away. Jou see, Eragon is a _dieciséis anos de edad_ Dragon Rider and Arya is ninety year old Elvin _princesa_."

"Taz, where're you goin' with this?" I interrupted.

"Just _esperar_! Jou'll see in _una momento_. _Así que de todos modos, _over de years and during de war, Eragon and Arya get closer and dey become _los mejores amigos_."

It is at this part that I really start paying attention, because, maybe it's just wishful thinking, but I feel as if I'm Eragon and she's Arya. Is that really our situation? I'm sure she knows I like her, but does she really like me back and doesn't want to admit it?

"When de earth had first begun, de elves made a magic language, now called de Ancient Language. Every person has two names. De one jour parents give to jou, and jour true name. A true name is a word or a group of words in de Ancient Language which represents a person's true self. If a person should learn jour true name, all dey do is speak it and dey will have complete control over jou. It is de biggest form of trust a person can show to another by telling dem deir true name.

"I trust jou, Up, wit' all of my heart. I want jou to know my real name, but only if jou trust me enough to tell me jours."

I sit there stunned for a bit. That really came out of nowhere and it took me a second to regain my composure. As an answer deemed worthy enough by me, I leaned over and whispered my name in her ear. She smiled and tried it out a couple times.

"Xander," she says. "Xander Up. Me gusta."

She, in turn, leaned in and whispered her name in my ear. As soon as it left her lips, she sat up straight and looked at me expectantly. I smiled at her and said,

"I'm not going to say it. Ya know why?" She shook her head in response.

"It's 'cause you'll always be Taz to me, no matter what."

Next thing I know, long, skinny arms have restricted the airflow to my lungs. I hug her back and when it ended, we sat in a comfortable silence and watched as Bastian rode on Falcor's back and chased the bullies into the dumpsters and they ran like a bunch of chickens.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Howdy. Um, yeah. Sorry about the shortness of it. I really need help getting Taz through her days at the Academy. **

**Please, please, please review. They make my insides smile.**

**And they make me update more:P**


End file.
